Nothing Can Separate Us
by LoveIsntJustAWord
Summary: Betrayal and lost, but they found each other in the end.
1. Welcome to The Hunger Games

"Thalia?." She hears a knock on the door. Phoeboe peaks out of the door.

"What is it, Phoe?" She hides the box of pictures behind her, leaning against the table.

"The reaping is about to start. I just want you to know that" Phoe shrugs, not having a clue that Thalia is hiding something. The girl hesitates, then speaks again. "I'm worried, Thals."

"Our name won't be picked." Thalia forces out a smile. Last time, Brianna, their sister, was picked for the annual 70th Hunger Games. The girl died sacrificing for a little boy from District 7. Since that year, The Hunt was never the same. For the hundreds times, she tried to contact to anyone she could reach. But everything was disconnected. Somehow she lost all of her abilities.

She waits until Phoeboe gets out of the room to drop her positive face. She opens her closet, picking a simple black T-shirt with denim jeans and combat boots. Her shoulder-length black hair has grown extremely long now, so she ties it as a high bun. She calms herself by the mirror but hesitates to look in her own blue eyes. It's too much for her. The color blue, reminds her of her brother Jason, and her father Zeus. _Enough_. She needs to let go the past, as soon as possible. She closes the door behind her, walking down the stairs. The house is empty, so the huntresses must be heading to the Town Hall, where the reaping is usually held.

Everyone is wearing colorful clothing, so she stands out in the crowd. She looks down, kicking the ground with her boots. The walk from her house to the City Hall isn't far enough for her to do some thinking. The morning air, which she enjoys the most, is hung with anxious from the citizen in District 5. Everyone is already gathered around the stage when she arrives. Old ladies whispering, children holding each other hands, man and woman saying goodbyes.

"Welcome to annual 72nd Hunger Games." A woman in a green wig, wearing pink blazer and matching color pants raises both of her arms cheerfully like she is welcoming everyone. Thalia remembers the woman name is something like Effie. She looks around, spotting Phoeboe along with the others at the corner of the Town Square. They are all holding hands; some look away from the crowd and try to focus their eyes on the ground. It's best for her to stay alone; she has too much thinking on her mind. Located in the center of the stage, next to Effie, is a giant clear plastic ball that contains thousands of names in it. She has no idea how many pieces of papers with her names are placing inside it. But only two will be picked, one male and one female. She has never watched a game before and so has The Hunt. She doesn't want to and doesn't enjoy the cheering of the Capitol at people's deaths. After the music is played, she chooses a wall to lean on, closing her eyes and letting the memories flood back.

"Let's carry on." Effie's voice is full of excitement after the music is out.

"Lady first." Everyone holds their breath when Effie pulls out a piece of folded paper.

Not Phoeboe. Not the huntresses, she prays. Her heart is hammering against her chest.

"Thalia Grace." Effie looks up to see who the lucky girl is, and Thalia finds herself unable to move. She takes a step forward as the crowd separate on the way. Everyone is staring at her, but she only manages to look at her sisters. Some of them let out a sob while the others look down, away from her. At least it wasn't the others, she thought. She can feel Effie's hands on her shoulder, leading her toward the center. Effie shoves her hand back on the sea of papers and drags out the second piece.

"James Castellan." Effie announces, looking back at the crowd for a new face. She doesn't notice at first, but the boy last name startles her. She is stunned, frozen on the stage, unable to move her eyes toward Effie, or the boy next to her. Effie pulls him closer to her, requires a hand shake. Thalia doesn't look at him, but she offers her hands out and his hand meets hers.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor" Effie pauses. "Now, we are late." Effie says cheerfully as if she still wants the crowd to cheer. But they are all quiet.

Later on, she is brought to a room. It has nothing but a chair, and a flag hanging on the wall embroidered with the logo of the capitol. She hears the footstep outside and the non-stopping whispers, but the huntresses are all quiet when they walk in the room. She doesn't know what to do beside hugging them and hiding her fear behind a smile. The meeting is just as simple as that.

"I've been so selfish, Thalia. We all do." Phoeboe begins to speak, but she choked in every words. "We didn't know this will happen, but I do wish you my best luck. If anything happens…"

"No, Phoe. I promise I will return." Her face hardens. She can't take the pity on every girl's faces, so she passes them all with a hug and avoids the eyes contact.

"Nothing can bring me down." She says, looking at each one of theirs faces. "Promise me to look out for each other when I'm gone." And Phoeboe's nod calms her down.

The girls close the door, and she is left in the room, waiting for herself to be called. _Damnit. _She squeezes the paper with her name in side her palm and let it falls.


	2. Coincidence

Thalia stands outside the train. She is still wearing the same clothes that soak all her tears into the sleeves. She enters what seems to be the highest technology train she has ever seen, where there are two peacekeepers guarding at the door. She opens the first door on her left, walking into a guess room with a table of food welcoming. The smells of wood and expensive leathers overwhelm her. Her stomach groans, but she doesn't feel hungry at all, just… empty. "Wait." The male tribute's face appears in front of her when she is about to close the heavy metal door. She would have fallen but he manages to keep her steady by reaching out to catch her hands.

"Wow hey there, be careful." His blue eyes are what caught her attention first and then it is his golden blond hair.

"Luke?" She lets the words run free. A second later she wants to take it back. The boy smiles charmingly like it is just a joke, but his face stops when he sees how serious she is.

"Hhm… I believe my name is James. James Castellan. You must be Thalia Grace." The way James says her name is so familiar that for one second, she thought he was Luke. But Luke is dead. Her feelings for him are dead.

"Sorry, my bad." Thalia shrugs. She steps backward to make a way for him and sits on a couch near by. James sits next to her, but they both keep their distance. Thalia glances at James when he looks away, scanning his expression. From his eyes to his hair, from his smile to the way he speaks. Even the way he reacted before. The only thing different about James is that he doesn't have a scar runs through his face. James doesn't look scared at all, even though he didn't volunteer for the game. She remembers the way her heart was pounding when he took her hands, keeping her from falling. She turns away when a strange man walks in. He must be the victor of their district, the only one who is still alive. If it weren't for the scar in his cheek, he would look handsome.

"My name is Kane Pensive, and I will be your mentor for this annual Hunger Games. I see you guys have got to know each other." Kane brushes his hair sprayed hair with his fingers like he is talking to a camera. He seems to notice she was looking at James. He nods, sitting on the opposite couch to them. "Effie won't be joining us on this train. She has to continue her way to another district."

She and James look at each other curiously. James may have seen the man on screen, but she hasn't. And although he is from her district, she learns not to trust everyone.

"I will leave you two here." Kane stands up, walking toward the bar and grabs for himself a bottle of alcohol. She wonders if the reason tributes keep dying was because their mentors were alcoholics.

"Wait!" Thalia tries to keep herself as calm as possible. "Aren't you supposed to teach us about the game? Any strategies?"

Kane whips his head back to her, smirking. "Dearie, you are supposed to watch all of those games before and figure it out yourself." He laughs, which annoys Thalia very much. She was going to say something back but James stops her. Kane closes the door behind him and goes to his room.

"I can't believe he is our mentor." Thalia growls. For once her mind can focus on something.

"I can. He is the only one who is still alive. The others are probably too old." He looks at her. "Or dead." James says. Kane looks like a 40 years old men to her, not to mention with drinking problem.

"He won the game, but like a coward." James continues. Thalia can't figure what expression James is having. "He teamed up with his female tribute and used her. After everyone died, he killed her, and claimed himself as a victory and blamed the others for her death."

After, James shakes his head slightly. Maybe he didn't expected this neither. The train slows down its speed, and James glances outside the window.

"We're here. The Capitol." He tilts his head and points outside the window as Thalia looks up, admiring the new world in front of her. Weird looking buildings are lining on the streets. The trees look unnaturally green.

"Come on, the crowd are waiting." He jumps off the couch. Thalia wonders how James can be so excited, walking toward his death. It's almost noon, when the sun has set down. But it's hard to enjoy the beautiful scene of the sunset, when the crowd outside are cheering with their shouts and hand waves. Some even throw roses and colorful papers at them. All she is doing is scolding how sunny the day is.

"Don't be so stiff, Thals." James whispers. He waves toward the crowd, making them cheering even harder. She smiles, bringing her hands up and waves, but she looks awkward. James on the other hand, enjoys the spotlight very much and laughs like a little boy. They walk among the crowd, within the protection of the peacekeepers.

"Put this on." Thalia meets her stylist two hours ago. She is having a complete makeover. They smooth her skin, and curl her hair into a small version of Barbie's hair. She looks no different than an Aphrodite's daughter who has just been claimed. Her stylist, Derek, pulls out a sequin dress with wires around the bottom of the dress. For a girl like Thalia, dress isn't really her thing.

"Can I just wear this?" She straightens her old jacket. The stylist chuckles, again, he probably thinks she is joking.

"The lights will turn on when you go on the chariot." Derek looks so excited that Thalia can't say she doesn't like it. She smiles weakly, glancing at James. To match her outfit, James is wearing a sequin tuxedo with buttons as tiny light balls. She doesn't see any relevant about her district through the outfit but she has to go with it. In her mind, she wonders if The Huntresses are watching her right now.

"It's show time." Derek claps his hands and everyone stops whatever they are doing. A black chariot appears outside, waiting for them. She looks at the other district. A girl with flowers all over her dress, and the female guy had a flower crown on his head. Another guy is waving his black hand, his body covered in mud and dirt. The music begins, and the chariots slowly depart. James grabs her hand on one side, not noticing how surprised she is and waves with his other hand. She manages a smile through the ride. Everything left is blurry to her memories.

"Here is the main room, where we will gather around to see the result of your tests." Effie, now has changed to her blue dress and white wig, introducing their new apartment. "Your bed room will be over the hall. If you need anything just ask." Thalia is exhausted after the long trip, so she heads to her bed first. Her room is the cleanest and clearest room she has ever seen. The towels and clothes are organized at the closest next to a huge window. Her hands touch something, a remote. When she clicks it, the scene on the window shifts. In front of her now is a pinewood; more important is the moon above her head. She closes her eyes and relaxes, curling herself into a ball and hiding her face under the blanket. Soon she is in Morpheus's embrace.

"_Thalia!" She sees Annabeth in front of her. Thalia is holding her bow and arrows, while Annabeth is ready with her sword. "Are you ready?" The girl asks, her voice runs through Thalia's spine._

Thalia nods firmly._Around them are all fire burning, trees and houses collapse. "NO!" Thalia closes her eyes._

When Thalia wakes up, her mind is blank. Her face is wet with tears, and her mind is spinning. It was only a dream.


	3. Making friends

"Morning, Thalia." James catches her up when she walks by his room. He is wearing the same clothes as her, a training suite they were given. "Are you ready?" he asks with his exited tone.

"For what?" Thalia turns to James.

"We are going to the training center today." He grins, but he has something very old, and wise in his expression that again, reminds her of a friend she lost.

The training center is a skyscraper that is located at the center of the Capitol. This is probably the worst part Thalia is afraid of.

They are taken to a gymnasium filled with training stations and obstacles courses. The smells of metal and bloods cover the room. Thalia is nervous, so she is thankful that James is beside her. James leads her to the practicing weapons first, where he chooses a sword and she picks up her bow and arrows.

"What a choice you've got there." He smiles. Thalia shrugs, placing the arrow onto her bow. It has been such a long time since she uses a weapon like this, and Thalia isn't even sure if she has forgotten how to use it.

"You too." She says, nodding at the sword.

James draws his sword for a moment and then he walks toward the other tributes, where a brunette girl is standing with her sword. Thalia turns away, looking at her bow. She takes a deep breath, which is what she usually does before aiming at the target. She places her fingers, holding her bow tightly and closes her right eyes for a better vision. When she lets go her arrow, the arrow plugs itself into the little red dot in the middle of the board. She sighs in relief. Far away, the clinging sound between James and the brunette girl is quite noticeable. Everyone gathers around to see them, and Thalia decides to sit back and watch. The girl takes her first hit. She punctures her sword and James was able to block it. He hits back, but the girl was shorter than him so she bends down and draws it to his legs. He jumps, but not fast enough so the sword hits him, not hard enough to take him down but he loses his balance. The girl seems to be cocky about it, she didn't notice James is hitting her sword so many time that she wasn't able to block all of the hits. Soon the girl looks more than tired, and with that advantage, he takes away her sword just by a simple hit as he brings it down to her neck. The girl raises her hands in defend, and James drops his sword, grinning.

"Did you see me fight?" James comes to her when he finishes his duel with the brunette girl. His face is red from the heat of the blood, sweating from the fight.

"Who was that?" Thalia asks.

"She is a girl, Anna, from District 1. She said I could join team career if I'm interested."

Thalia nods slightly, for some reason, she hates the idea of him being in another team.

James seems to read her mind. He tries not to laugh and looks at her raising a brow.

"Jealous?"

Thalia hits James in his stomach.

"Let's go have some lunch, I'm tired." She says, picking up her bag. She shakes her head slightly while James follows behind her.

Thalia passes James her Snickers. He has already eaten his and now glancing at her for more.

"So how old are you?" James asks, but she thinks he can guess. She looks about the same age as him, maybe even younger.

"19. You?" Thalia eats her salads with mashed potatoes.

"I'm 21, but people always say I look younger than my age." James keeps looking at her, when all she wanted to do is looking away from him. They stay quiet for the rest of the lunch, since the afternoon will be their private session with the judges. Easy, she knows she is only good at one thing, and it is archery. James on the other hand can blow them away with his amazingly sword fighting skill.

Thalia leaves the dining room, heading back to her room for some thinking. James stays, talking and laughing loudly with team career. On her way walking, she bumps into someone.

"Look where you were going." She scowls.

"Sorry" He says without looking up.

"District 5, right? I'm Mike, District 4." Mike offers his hands even though he catches her frown. Last night Kane sent her a simple message saying "Get to know the others and try to team up." So here she is, turning her frown up.

"I'm Thalia Grace…How did you know about my district?" She asks.

"It's weird, but I figure most of the tributes from your district look either unhappy or scared. You look like you are having a bad day."

"Not bad, just a tired day." She says. Mike seems to be a nice guy, and she learns that District 4 is good with surviving in tough conditions, like in water environment. "I really have to go. Prepare myself for the sessions this noon."

"I hope to see you again." He grins and disappears behind those doors. She leaves, heading to her room and takes a nap. She still has a lot of things to do in he afternoon.

"Thalia Grace." The peacekeeper calls her name and tells her to walk in the room. She has slept through 3 hours and now, more tired than ever. She crosses a long hall to reach to the room. She can feel the eyes of the judges above, looking down at her despicably.

"You may begin." Seneca Crane says. So the first thing she does is going to the bow section. They have a rack of golden, silver arrows hanging. She takes one up, doesn't look up to see if anyone was paying any attention to her. She takes the shot, but the arrow misses the center of the board. Her face turns red, but she decides to give herself another try. Instead of the golden arrow, she picks the silver one. It reminds her of Lady Artemis, of the life she used to have when she was a huntress. Her hands are shivering, but she only cares about making through the shoot. She releases the arrow as she hears a clap from one of the judges. She bows slightly, leaving the room and passing James when he is on his way.


	4. Speechless

"What a day." James yawns and stretches his arms backward when he is sitting next to her in dinner. The moment she walks to the living room, James jumps out in front of her.

"Good job, you got an 8." He folds his arms.

"Did I miss the announcement?"

"No one can really wake you up. You looked like you were having bad dreams."

"More like bad memories." She murmurs.

"What?" He leans out.

"Nothing."

"Well then. Let's go celebrate."

"Where?" Thalia isn't in the mood to celebrate, but she needs distraction from her thinking.

"Come." James grins mischievously. She doesn't know her heart is pounding this quick.

James walks with her out of the building. They don't get to go free, so the peacekeepers are following them from behind. It's late at night. Thalia and James stop at a park just right outside the apartment, lying down on the grass.

"I didn't know we are allowed to walk outside." She turns to James, smiling. Her curly black hair spreads on the grass.

"Me too, but since the Game is coming, I'm pretty sure we can do anything." He sighs.

"Tell me, why do you seem so fine about this?" She can't hide her curiosity anymore. She doesn't feel afraid because fighting is something she has done her entire life.

"Life is about adventures. I don't want to live my life in the district." He shrugs.

"How about your family?"

"My parents died in an accident when I was little. Or at least that's what they told me. I have no brother and sister. My neighbor adopted me and raised me since."

"I'm…sorry." She never thought he had such a tough life.

The starry sky brings Thalia to sleep. But James wakes her up, telling her they will have an interview tomorrow. So she and James walk back to the apartment in silence. They wave goodbye and walk back to their home. And it's the first time Thalia doesn't have any nightmares. She sleeps through hours and her mind is completely blank.

Next morning, Thalia decides to stay in her room resting. A knock on the door startles her. It's James. He is wearing a gray jacket outside his shirt like he was going back from somewhere.

"Peaceful." He looks at the Pine Forest scene on the window, nodding. "I didn't know you decided to stay in your room."

"Where are you going?" She asks.

"I'm training with Anna and the others."

And Mike pops up in her head. She should talk to him about teaming up. He said he has refused to be in team career, so it will be more convenient if they team up together. She wears the training suite and walks with James to the center.

"New friend?" James seems to notice the way she looks at Mike, he tilts his head to her ears and whispers.

Thalia nods, raising a brow when Mike walks by and ignores James. "Are you finish? I was hoping we can talk." She asks. James tries not to be disappointed when he watches her conversation with Mike.

"I was hoping we can team up in the arena." She shrugs, not knowing if Mike will deny or not. He motions his head to James, who is glaring at Mike with an unhappy look.

"Sure." He answers shortly and leaves.

"What are you doing, James?" She snaps at James. "I was trying to fit in and make friends."

"Not with him." He frowns. "I don't trust that guy."

"I don't care what you think, James. Don't look after me."

James seems to realize how angry she is, but he even looks angrier than she does. He scowls and walks away, leaving her standing there.

Thalia is in a black dress with matching color heels. She hates the way she looks, without the black jacket and combat boots.

"So tell me, are you excited for this year Hunger Games?" Caesar asks, laughing to the crowd.

She can feel Kane from far away, telling her to smile.

"Of course, who doesn't?" She lies. The crowd is cheering louder. Caesar chuckles, bringing the microphone closer to her.

"Any special someone at home?" It's his usual question. Thalia shakes her head slightly, smiling at the crowd. Caesar looks surprised. "Let's see if anyone will win this girl's heart!" Caesar stands up walking around, signaling the crowd to shout and cheer harder. Thalia glances back stage and catches James's eyes. His face looks exactly like Caesar before.

"To Thalia Grace from District 5." He twirls Thalia in his hand. She walks off the stage while James continues after her. She hides behind the curtain, watching James and Caesar through the screen.

"You must be the male tribute who came along with Thalia Grace. James Castellan, everyone!" Caesar claps his hands while James gives the crowd his charming smile.

"Is it hard to be around her, a beautiful girl? It must be distracting." Caesar teases him.

James blushes, he nods, waving at the crowd. He sits back straight, looking at the camera like he knew Thalia is watching.

"She is a special girl." He smiles. The crowd shouts and some of them even throw roses on the stage. Thalia doesn't realize her face is just as red as him. She ignores the looks on everyone around her and walks straight back to her room, skipping his interview. She quickens her pace, rushing through the door. The game is tomorrow, can't be distracted.

"Hey there." Kane is sitting in the main room, his hand holding a bottle of alcohol. She skips through him, about to walk to her room.

"Stop. I need to talk to you." Kane calls out. Thalia stops herself, turning her head back, still wanting to go.

"I'm sorry for not being a good mentor." He says, half drunk.

"It's fine." Thalia sighs tiredly.

"James is a good boy. I hope you two can protect each other in the game."

"Like you and the female tribute in that last game?" She snaps. And Kane stays quiet, continue to drink from his bottle. She heads back to her room. The game is tomorrow. She turns the knuckle of the door, walking inside. There is a small box with a note saying "Good luck tomorrow.-J" She smiles slightly, open the box. There is a small trinket inside, with the shape of the moon. She walks by the mirror, pulling it to her neck and secure the necklace. _Lady Artemis, she thought._

"Thank you James" Thalia whispers. She turns off the light and falls onto the bed, closing her eyes.


	5. Run

Thalia hates flying. She can feel the hovercraft leaving the ground. She clears her throat; her hands gripping against the seat belt as the hovercraft fly away. Opposite of her is James; the boy is scanning her expression.

"Scare of flying?" He asks her. She nods slightly, trying to steady her breath and keeps herself from shivering. He gives her a comfort smile like he is telling it's going to be fine. She closes her eyes, letting the memories flood back.

_Luke leans his head on Thalia's shoulders. He was badly injured because of the sudden attack. The blood begins to soak in his jeans, making her more nervous._

"_Stay with me Luke. It's going to be okay."_

_Luke manages a weak smile, his hands reaching for her. She knows he need medications, but they are in the middle of no where. She lets Luke drink what's left of the bottle of nectar._

"_I'm glad you're okay." His bright blue eyes look at her._

The peacekeepers escort Thalia to an empty room with a giant clear tube in the middle of the room. She is wearing a long sleeve shirt under a huge jacket, tight black pair of pants and boots. She has her curiosity about what the arena would be like. Someone opens the door. It's Kane. He shakes his head, walking to her and giving her a hug. It's an awkward hug, but she appreciates it. After Kane left without saying a word to her, she touches the necklace on her neck. The cold silver surface reassures her. The tube opens. As she walks in, it slowly closes and moves up. _Don't panic._ Her eyes take time to get used to the light. The weather suddenly feels so cold, and she realizes everything around her is white. The white of snow. She looks at the other tributes standing around the circle. The counting begins, and she feels her heart is pounding loudly. _5…4…3…2…1._Everyone runs away from the tube, but the snow stops them. Some falls down the grown. At the corner of her eyes, she spots a silver bow and arrows lying a few feet away. She runs, as fast as she can, even though her lungs are burning. So cold. She takes the bag; no one seems to notice her. Anna, the girl who took a fight with James, has taken down two tributes. She spots the trees far behind her, so she aims for them. A girl stops her on the way, she is carrying an axe.

"NO, DON'T!" She hears James shouts from far away. His face looks pale, and he is holding a huge sword. Thalia doesn't know why he was looking at her at that time. The girl doesn't seem to listen to him; she raises the axe above her head. Thalia rolls her body to the left, watching the axe fell next to her. The girl takes the axe, this time she holds Thalia down with her thighs. The girl is bigger than Thalia, so she knows she has no hope escaping.

"STOP!" James is running toward them, with the sword on his hand. He pushes the girl aside and grabs Thalia's hand.

"We agree not to hurt her." He yells at the girl lying down the snow. The girl smirks. He pulls Thalia with him, running fast to the woods while everyone was too busy killing. The girl follows them, but she was attacked with a dagger in the back by the male tribute from Disrict 1. Thalia sees Anna, whose eyes looking at them surprisingly. James must had promised the girl he would team up with her. Thalia brought her free hand to her chest, feeling as her heart pounded against the ribs. James runs before her, he hasn't stopped. She continues to follow him even though they have run quite a long road.

"Stop. I need…to breathe." Her hand rests on a tree. The snow makes it hard to run, but she has been used to it.

"Are you okay?" He scans her face, his hands touching her cheeks.

"I'm fine." She brushes his hands off. Huntress habits. She still has her bow on her back and James carries two bags of supplies. They both look around for a safe place to hide.

He scatters the supplies on the wet snow ground. She takes the second bag, looking down at it and counting the food and water they have.

"Two bottles of water. A load of bread and ropes." James sighs, raising the ropes on his hand.

"I got a knife, a tent, and a flashlight." She shrugs. With only that much food, they will have to go hunting soon in this weather. James tiredly sits down the ground, his back leaning against the tree. She sits next to him, sighing. She blows the air between her fingers for warmth.

"I thought you were teaming up with team career?" She doesn't turn to him. She curls up as small as possible, it's too cold. James moves closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. Thalia would have pushed him out if it wasn't for the snow around them.

"I can't leave you." He sighs. She can feel his warm breath on her skin, his embrace. She rests her head on his chest, catching her breath.

"We can't stay here. It's too dangerous." She whispers, breaking through his arms. She brushes off the snow on her jacket, counting the arrows.

"How about there?" He points at a small cave near by, with trees creeping around.

"We can build a tent." She opens the bag, taking out the tent. She is used to camping outside and running, so this doesn't look new to her. She carefully arranges the tent while James sets more trees around the entrance.

"You seem to be very good at this." The cave has blocked out the wind, so Thalia can finally inhale the fresh air inside.

"Look at you." He smiles, looking at the perfect tent she has just finished. She sighs exhaustedly, bringing her hair in a ponytail.

"You wear the trinket I gave you." The pendant catches James eyes.

"How did you know I love the moon?"

"You mentioned it, when we were out celebrating." He shrugs. His blue eyes mirror her electric eyes. _He remembers._

"Don't be so surprised, Thals." He looks at her expression, raising a brow.

The outside is quiet, so the blood bath must be over. It is hours before the sun set, and they will announce who falls down in the first day. She wonders if they were lucky to find out about the cave, or is this just one of The Capitol's to make the Game more interesting.

"Where are you going?" She sees James gathering his thing and about to walk out.

"I'm heading back to the Cornucopia."

"What?" Thalia can't believe what she's just heard. "It's… dangerous, James. You trust those people? They will kill you." She exclaims.

"You don't know them Thals." He answers tiredly. Thalia doesn't stop him, she knows it's impossible. So she watch him walks away.


	6. Allies

Note: Again, it's no longer weekends so the chapters might be up a little late. I'm terribly sorry if there are a few grammar mistakes in this chapter. I wrote it spontaneously so :P I still hope everyone enjoy it. PLEASE leave a comment and tell me if you like it or not.

The fire is out, so Thalia has nothing to do besides walking out of the cave to go hunting. She turns on the flashlight, looking around. The cold night is much more horrible than the day. Each steps she takes feel like burning, and her legs are about to go numb. She doesn't know what feeling she is having, frustration or disappointment. The cave has been marked, so that Thalia can find her way back. Voices dance in her mind, but all she can sort out is James's. How he saved her, and then left her here to join with the career. _Wake up, Thalia._ She reminds herself. Her fingers run through the silver arrows, looking up at the moon questioning. But Lady Artemis is gone. The canon got her full attention. It must be late. The arena is enclosed, so she has no idea what can she hunt in this difficult climate. The sky is brightened up, and the image of the fallen tributes from District 3 appears first. Following is the girl who attacked her. She sighs in relief when James is still alive, and also Mike. He must be waiting for her somewhere, but it's almost midnight, finding him isn't a good idea. She tries to go further to see if there's any luck of finding an animal, but a flashlight can't help her look through the whole forest.

"_Annabeth, take my shield." Thalia can't move her body. She has activated the shield for her friend to use. Around her, the camp is on fire. Houses and trees collapse. Screams and shouts everywhere._

"_No…"Annabeth flinches. She is still holding her sword; determine to protect the camp until the close. Her eyes travel to the manticore in front of her._

Thalia wakes up again, tears streaming down her pale face. It's cold, but that's not why she's shivering. Her memories… they just keep coming back to her, haunting in her dreams. She tries to sit up, peeking through the trees to see the dim light. She can't stay here anymore. Thalia takes her supplies and weapons, on her way to find Mike.

After an hour, she decides to rest on a tree trunk she has just found. The canon fires again. The number of dead tributes must be gaining quite a bit since yesterday. 14 in total, only 10 left, including her, James, Mike, the couple from District 1 and 2 and the others three. And it's only been the second day.

Suddenly, there is something moving in the bushes from far away. Any movements and Thalia will be ready to take her bow and shoot. A deer. It notices Thalia and runs through the trees. But in a distance, it looks back at her like it was waiting for her to follow. Thalia doesn't hesitate. She hides behind a tree and slowly moving forward. The deer runs again, but with a slower pace. Before she could take another step, someone takes down the animal.

"Mike?" Thalia is impressed by the way he threw the knife at the deer. It's like the guy was given with the ability to hunt. She walks closer to the dead animal in front of her.

"Where have you gone to?" Mike looks up from his prize, charmingly smiles at her with his curly hair flowing in the wind.

"I…" She can't think of a good reason.

"Don't mind. At least you've found me. Are we still teaming up?" He pulls the dagger out, cleaning the blood with a cloth. She nods.

"Okay then." He ties the animal's legs and pulls it on his shoulder. She wonders why a guy who has lived his whole life near the beach and knows how to hunt for animals. If it comes down to her and Mike, she may not get a chance to live.

"Come on." He signals with his hand for her to follow. She follows behind him through the snow. Mike leads her outside the forest where they reach to an ice river. They can use it as a road, but the thin layer of ice worries her.

"Are you sure it's safe to cross?" Thalia presses her boots against the ice and hears a small crack.

"Let's find out." Mike says unsurely. He is the first to step on the river. It isn't easy when you are carrying a dead deer on your back. The Capitol can easily create an earthquake and kill them both. But since they haven't, she's just afraid they are saving her and Mike for a show. _Too late to change her mind._Mike offers her a hand but she doesn't take it. She doesn't want to be the weak girl who always has to be protected. Whenever Thalia hears a crack, her heart jumps immediately. She swallows the fear, reaching to Mike when he walks before her. The sunlight creeps through the trees, missing with the freezing air to create a thin fresh air. Inhales. Exhales. It's what Thalia has been telling herself.

"You are doing well." Mike notices the intensive in her. She should have feel safe since Mike is taking the lead. They have crossed half ways in the river ice. To distract herself, she looks up to catch a glimpse of sunlight. One minute ago it was a clear sky, and now the clouds have taken over the light.

"Is it going to rain?" Thalia confuses. Mike shrugs the deer off his shoulders with an intimidate look. One crack. Two cracks. What is it? Thalia looks right next to her, where there is an irregular lump of ice plugging on the ice's surface. Hail storm. Mike looks at her. He doesn't have to say anything to tell her to run. With full speed, she scrambles to the other side of the river, her hands covering the top of her head. Around her, balls of ice are falling down, cracking the ice river._She can make it._Mike is behind her, he looks more terrible than she does. He has a few scratches on his head, not bad enough to cause the bleeding, but he doesn't look like he could run anymore.

"Come on, Mike." Thalia says without turning her head back. The ice is starting to separate into pieces. She has to jump over to reach to the end. Never before has she been thankful for all off those years running in her childhood.

"Thalia." She hears a helpless shout behind her. She grabs on a tree she has just reached for when arriving to the other side of the river.

"Mike?"


	7. Pain

Thalia presses her hands against the snow to get herself up. Her body feels numb; every part of her body is in pain. The hail storm stopped.

"Hang in there." She scatters everything in the bag on the snow and grabs the rope. Mike is hanging by a branch on a slab of ice that will break any minute from now. She ties one side of the rope to a tree and throws the other side to him. He pulls himself back, and when he is just a few inches from her, she grabs his hand and pulls him toward her. Mike lands safely on the ground, breathing rapidly. Thalia was going to say something, until his lips pressing against her. _He kisses her_. It's a deep passionate kiss that she doesn't expect at all. He lets her hands go, moving backward and covers his face with his hands.

"What just…" She murmurs. Thalia is still surprised that even a word can come out of her mouth. She wipes the salty taste lingered on her lips, shivering from the cold.

"I'm… sorry. That's… not suppose to happen. You saved me." He takes control of his breaths, glancing back at the ice river. It's lucky that they got through it safely.

Things have been awkward to them, because Thalia can't figure anything to say. She has just known Mike, and she considers him as a friend, and friend only. The guilt inside her chest consumes her, making her uncomfortable to look at him, even though she wasn't a hunter. _Not anymore._

"Just… forget about that. We should continue. The careers are probably going to hunt for us by now." Mike's face looks disappointed, but he hides it under a smile. He gathers all of their supplies while she shakes the snow out of her hair. They spend a quiet walk back to Mike's place.

Thalia stands before an enormous old tree with roots growing in every direction. This place reminds her of Khione, the goddess of snow. There are ices everywhere like a winter wonderland.

"How did you find out about this place?" She can see her reflection on the ice. The silent has been broken, but she still avoids eyes-contact.

"I was chased by a polar bear." She hates when Mike chuckles like a little boy. "And I escaped here."

Thalia admires the way he uses the sharp of the ices as a defense when she sees a row of them lining around. She touches them, hoping to feel the cold and numb she always feels. "Are they… glasses?" She narrows her eyes.

"I don't really know. I found them in a cave near by, and I decided to use them." He points to the row he arranged.

"Show me." Thalia asks curiously. They still have a lot of time until noon.

"Sure. Let me set the traps."

The cave is about three kilometers from where they are. Until they reach to the place, the sun is almost down. In front of Thalia is a glorious scene of sunset.

"Come." Mike kicks a few rocks that were on their way in. The entrance doesn't look big, so she has to lean over to get inside. She follows him. "Try to be careful." He warns her. He points above her head, where there are thousands of dangerous ice balls that can crumbling down. They walk deeper inside. But the dark troubles them.

"What's that?" She hears something.

"I didn't hear anything." Mike answers. But she can feel its presence. A creature, maybe. A shiver runs down her spine, and she can't take it anymore.

"I know I hear something." A hand reaches toward Thalia and pulls her from behind. It's too sudden for her to scream, as her lips are being blocked by the stranger's hand.

"Shhh, it's James." He whispers behind her ears. He drags her to the corner of the cave, far away from Mike.

"Why are you sneaking up on me like that? What are you doing here?" Thalia yells quietly. She doesn't know if Mike knows she is missing. But nothing can come to her mind, especially when she's too close to James. She can feel his warm minty breath around her.

"What are /you/ doing with him?" James asks angrily. But it isn't his decision to make. She hates being taken care of like a child.

"Why do you care? It's the career that you need to worry about. Have you considered they will kill you at some point?"

"And Mike won't?" He snaps back at her quietly.

"How about you?" She says each word loudly. Mike seems to recognize her voice, he reach for her.

"Thalia? Where are you?" The cave has turned completely dark that not even a small ray of light can get in. She doesn't want to take out her flashlight, since James is the last thing she wants to see. After hearing what she has to say, he storms out. He mumbles something, but Thalia can't hear it clearly.

"I'm here." Her hands touch Mike's. But a pain cut through her right arms. She can feel the metal slides quickly through her flesh, and the blood is pouring down her arms. They have been ambushed. And the only thing that is more painful than this was James being here just now. It must be the career. Thalia tries not to fall down, with the cut on her arms, her other hand focusing on finding a weapon. She can't shoot, she knows that. But how will a dagger help, especially when the others are armed with highly upgraded weapons.

"Thalia, are you okay?" Mike seems to realize something was moving. She puts her arms away to make sure he didn't know she is wounded. He holds out his spear, turning around for movements. But the cave is quiet again, as Thalia turns on the flashlight in her bag. She doesn't realize the person in front of her is staring at her.

"Your hand…" Mike drops his spear; the sound of it startles her. "Who did this to you?" He turns to his spear and scrambles the bag for bandages. She doesn't need to see the wound to know how bad it is. The wound is a 5 inches cut that runs from the palm of her hand. The pain is indescribable and she can feel her own heart pounding louder and louder. Mike's face becomes blurry, and she hears James's voice somewhere near. Maybe it's her imagination. But she isn't able to see it. She falls on the snow, buries her face in the cold of the winter.


	8. Shattered

The last thing Thalia remembers is hearing James's voice in her head. It echoes, no matter how many times she tries to block it, or pushes it out, it keeps coming back to her. She can feel her eyes grow heavier, and she can't move her body. She hears someone walks in, as she keeps herself quiet.

"Have you found the boy?" A female voice comes out at the end of the room.

"No, not yet. I'm sending some of the tributes looking for him." James says. His voice sounds tired.

"Damn it, James." The girl slams her fist against something. She storms out, leaving James alone in the room. _Where is she?_ She peaks under her eyes. The metal ceiling that is 20 foot high from her. James sits on a chair next to where she lies, sighing. She shuts her eyes, hoping he doesn't look at her. But he did. She can feel his fingers run through her messy hair, and rests his hand next to her face. She wants to tell him she is still awake, but the thought of facing him after everything they have been through isn't what she has in mind. Eventually, he leaves. She props her hands on what seems to be the metal surface she was lying on. She looks around for her bow and arrows, but they are no where to be found. With no weapon, she can't sneak out of here. So instead, she grabs James's sword which is leaning against the wall next to her. She smirks slightly, holding out the heavy gold metal weapon in her hands. She knows about sword-fighting but Luke was the one who always won. She tries it out by swirling it around the mid-air. She takes an extra jacket and a random bag that contains food and supplies. The wind blows in the Cornucopia, making her entire body shivers. And the memories hit her back. She was with Mike. Her arm is wounded, and James was there too. She pulls up her sleeves to check for the cut. The wound looks like it has just been healed. She sees a few stitches, but the worst seems to be over. She doesn't get it. Why would somebody attack her and /then/ heal for her? No time to think, she rushes out of the place. The winter is getting colder. She sees a male tribute older than her, guarding outside. He is playing with a spear in his hands, yawning. She holds up her elbow and hits him in the head, bringing the boy down. She runs in the forest again, hoping to find out where Mike is.

"Hey! Stop!" She mustn't notice there was a girl near by when she escapes. It's the girl James dueled with in the sword-fighting battle, Anna. She has no time to turn around, she runs as fast as she can in the snow, despite the fact that her body is exhausted from the day. Anna curses. The girl throws a knife toward her but she misses for the tree instead. Thalia can feel the blade flying right next to her. Anna keeps on chasing her, but the desire of coming back to her family inside Thalia's chest has given her strength to continue. When she turns back, her body bumps into someone. Again, she is lying on the snow while the tribute girl runs toward her. She points the dagger onto Thalia's neck while James is still figuring out what happened.

"Hold up." He looks at Anna, and the girl hesitates. But the knife is still on Thalia's neck.

"Why do you trust her? She tries to run. We should finish her." The girl glares at her, and Thalia returns with her glare. James takes out his sword in his ready position.

"Don't make me kill you." He threats. Anna's expression looks surprised, like she doesn't know he would do this to her. She stands up, leaving Thalia on the ground and walking toward James with her hands raised defensively.

"I'm just joking, Jamie." She tries to smile but her eyes are covered with fear. James hisses. He keeps his sword up, looking back and forth from her to Anna. Thalia looks around for a way to run, but James is too close to her, not letting her to escape. Anna takes a step backward; the girl raises her sword challenging.

"What makes you think I'm not going to defeat you again?" He says with amusement. He takes the first hit onto Anna's stomach but she doesn't block back. Anna falls down the ground, the blood soaks all over her shirt. It is unexpected for James too, his eyes widen. He kneels down next to the girl, looking at the wound he has caused. He is speechless. The canon shoots as Anna finally closes her eyes. James doesn't move, he stares at the girl dead body. _This is her chance._Thalia gets up and continues to run, but he follows her with his pace. James is a much better runner than Thalia, so he stops her by grabbing on her bag.

"Stop." The word comes out through his breath. She can see how tired, and what a mess he is in. His eyes are red, like he has just stopped himself from crying. Thalia stops. For once, she doesn't know what to do. She lets the bag falls from her shoulders and walks closer to him hesitantly. He rests his hand on her shoulder, his face staring at the white snow beneath his feet. She opens her arms to him, embraces him like an old friend. Until now does she realize he has given up team career? He chooses to betray the person who trusted him. It gives Thalia an ache in the heart, knowing how familiar it sounds .James runs his fingers to the cut in her hand.

"Are you okay?" She sighs. He gives her a warmly but broken smile. That smile lives in her memory.

"I'm sorry." He whispers. "For not protecting you."

"It's not your duty." She closes her eyes.

"It's what right to do." He shakes his head. It's been day 3 in the games, and nothing yet has happened. They still have 9 people left, or less. She doesn't want to make it hard between her and James.

"Where's Mike?" She lets go of him. James smiles in bittersweet. He shakes his head, looking into her eyes seeing if she is ready to hear it.

"We couldn't find him. He runs right before we can get to you."

"I have to go and find him." She rushes but James stops her.

"Thalia…" He says slowly. "The wound on your arms… Mike did it."

She is sure her body has just scattered. "What?" She shakes her head. "It's impossible. He wouldn't… How can you be so sure?" Her legs are weakened. She can collapse in any minutes.

"When we arrived the cave, we saw Mike. He is holding his spear… covered in blood. Your blood." James holds her hands tightly to make sure she doesn't do anything. But she snatches her hands out of his.

"I need a minute." She feels so dizzy. She steps away from James, while he takes back his sword she was holding. The clump inside her throat is making her hard to speak. Her head turns from angry, to sad, to bitterness, and lastly betrayal. James gives her the bow and arrows he took from her and looks at her with sympathy. She hates sympathy. There is mixture of feelings and thoughts inside her that can never be erased.

"Let's go." She looks at James. No more trusting. Even for James.


	9. Snow

Writer's note: I'm so sorry it took me such a long time to post the next chapter. I'm still deciding what the ending should be. No excuse, I promise to post them more often and I'm working on a new one. Please review.

Something is pounding against the ceiling of the cave. Footsteps? Thalia ignores the music playing on the sky. It must be dark enough for The Capitol to show the fallen tributes. James sits in the corner next to her, his eyes staring down the ground intensively. She sighs slightly, gathering a clump of snow in her palms. She wants to feel cold, to feel numb and ignore what has happened. And then she rolls them into a ball, throwing it toward James. He looks up curiously at first; a weak smile runs through his lips. That smile pinches in her heart. She can't smile back, pretending like everything is okay. She turns away, squeezing the bow, keeping it closely. Something hits on her back, snow falling from the hood under her jacket. She glares back, watching James chuckling.

"Do that one more time." She threats with her hands forming into a fist. James doesn't even hesitate. He throws the second ball of snow at her; some of them even falls under her shirt making Thalia shivers. She gathers a larger ball, and James this time has gotten up on his feet, ready to dodge. She grins, resting her hand on the wall and stands up. She aims for his face, but he quickly pulls up his bag in front of his face to defense.

"Coward." She teases. And it works. James lowers his bag about to say something, and Thalia takes her shot. Luke backs away, trying to brush the snow off.

"Cheater!" He snaps. Then they get quiet. She is sure she hears something. James seems too, as he put on his serious face, glancing for the sword. What kind of reckless person would wander around in the middle of the night? _Mike._The name pops up, not intentionally.

"Shhh." She stops James from speaking. He was about to say something, but the sound is getting noisier.

"Should we go check?" He whispers under his breath. The white smoke he breaths out mixing with her. She nods in allowance, signaling her head to the entrance of the cave they have blocked with branches and traps. He carefully removes every one of them with making even a small crack of noise while she holds her breath. Her bow is raised high in front of the door, the arrow in its ready position. James takes his first step out first, and the breezy wind blows in. Fresh, not cold. The forest is pitching black out there, but a ray of light can draw the attention to them. She follows him from behind, leaning against his back to prevent unexpected attacks. The weak gleam of moonlight shines through the loops between trees, focusing on a dark spot on the ground. Thalia realizes they are drops of blood, scattering across the way.

"Maybe it is an animal's blood?" She tries not to think about the other option. They spread out. Thalia swallows her nervous, watching the soft drift of snow on the sky. She wants so badly to block the smell of blood out of her lungs. She puts down the arrow. The frozen tip of it will make it hard to injure the target.

"Find anything?" James's voice echoes from the other side.

"Not really. Maybe we should get back." She responds. Her eyes are still on the snowy road, searching for any drop of blood, and not notice there is a shadow in front of her. Before looking up, she holds her grip tightly on the bow and prepare for the worst. The wound catches her eyes first. There is a deep cut runs down in one leg, and the other side is wrapped with bandage. It's dark outside, but she recognizes those eyes.

"Mike." Her voice is full of bittersweet. She notices he is holding his spear, breathing faster than normal. He is here to kill her. The first thing comes up in her mind is James. Mike probably doesn't know James is her companion. She can use this advantage.

"Mike… Put the spear down." She brings her bow up. Mike glances at the spear he is holding in his hand and smirks. Thalia has gotten used to the cold, so she doesn't mind getting her fingers numb.

"Mike… I said, put-"

"I heard you." He finally says something. His eyes make him looks like a completely different person. He takes the first step, and she backs away. She has come so close letting go of the arrow. He steps closer, this time with faster pace. She watches what happens next like a slow motion movie. The arrow slowly separate from her bow, aiming for him, but he distracts it with his spear. No one can do that. She doesn't miss. The next thing she knows, he raises the spear higher than his head and throws it with his right arms toward her. Is it possible to attack even when he has so many wounds? The weapon flies across the space between them, and there is no time to take out another arrow. She crosses her arms in front of it to block any possible injures. But when she opens her eyes, the spear is on the ground. James lands down on his feet with perfect balance. She hears Mike's smirk.

"What do we have here?" He folds his muscular arms and lifts a dagger from his pocket. "The couple from District 5?" He plays with the dagger.

"We are not a couple." She glares from Mike to James. James doesn't say anything, but he is in his ready position.

"Move back, Thalia. I want to handle him." James doesn't look hesitates at all to attack Mike. But she gets really annoyed when people treat her like she's weak. She doesn't move, the arrow still points at Mike, but she isn't sure she can hit him. After what happened to Anna, she doesn't want to rush anything and knowing she will regret it.

"Let's talk this out." She commands. But no one listens to her. James and Mike keep glaring at each other.

"Talk?" The idea makes Mike laughs. "This is an arena. Who knows what the Capitol would do if I don't deal with you two right now." His smile disappears. James runs toward him with his sword. Mike doesn't expect it; he falls back, trying to dodge the blade. She doesn't know who she is aiming for. She watches the two of them struggle. The sky is too dark. She can't risk hitting the wrong person. Something moves beneath her feet. The ground is shaking, and Thalia isn't the only one realizes it. Somewhere near, a tribute runs out of no where holding an axe. The girl's purpose isn't to attack any of them, but to run. The girl doesn't even seem to notice Thalia is standing there.

"What the…" Mike can't help but feeling clueless, but he still tries to attack James.

"James…" She understands now. Her body is frozen looking what is in front of her. "We need to run."


	10. Chasing the sun

* Author's note: I'm incredibly sorry for how late this chapter came out. The next chapter will be out in August because I'm busy in these months. I appreciate your reviews.

She watches the wave of snow running and pouring down from the cliffs and mountains rapidly. It brings along its cold and freezing breath of air. Her lungs feel like burning, even though she has layers of thick clothes. Standing next to her, James hardens his body. He is just as amazed as her. An avalanche, coming right at them with tons of heavily snow ready to bury them down. She coughs, feeling the grease coming out of her hands but she wipes it out, knowing it is blood. The warmth of his hands slides through her palm and intertwines with her fingers. And just like that, James pulls her with him. She quickens her pace and follows James, but she knows they can't survive even if they could manage to run faster than the animals. From the end of the mountains, she can see the line of orange color, coming up slowly.

"James!" She says under her breath. She knows she must be careful, because her throat is in pain, and she can't even shout any louder than this. "The cave! We can stay there until the snow slide is over." She rests her hand on her knees. The thought of lying down on the snow is so tempting that Thalia has to close her eyes for a minute to stop the dizziness.

"Are you okay, Thals?" The odd isn't their favor, not at all. James looks at her worriedly, but she knows he agrees with her too. She gives him an assured nod, looking up.

"We still have enough times to run there. We can make it." She says. James knows better than to say no.

"Okay, but we must hurry!"

"Come on."

It's difficult to run on the snow. She tries hard not to trip a few times. Under the denuded trees, Thalia can recognize the cave she has been staying with James. _Just a few steps away,_she tells herself. She has to look down because they are running right at the sun's direction, and the light dazzles her eyes. Black spots are running in her eyes. The place where they used to stand is now nothing but a snow hill. The avalanche has nearly reached them, so they don't have times to admire the view anymore. James stops in front of her so sudden that she bumps into his back.

"What the h-?" Her heart is racing as the force of snow is coming from behind them. Mike, who stands next to the dead body of the female tribute she saw earlier, holds a bloody spear. The girl looks even younger than Thalia, with an innocent face and a frown. The girl must have died painfully.

"Stand out of the way before I knock you out." James grumbles. The clingy noise he make when he takes out his sword makes the guy in front of them takes a step back.

"I'm not going to let either of you win. The victory is mine." He glares at James. She wonders if his hatred has blinded him from everything. James looks like he has held his resentment for too long now. He jumps right at Mike and punctures with his sword. Mike takes out his spear in front of James. For a minute, her heart almost jumps out of her chest.

"Be careful!" She shouts, but it isn't necessary. James's power doesn't seem to drain at all. He swipes the spear to one side angrily and points his sword toward Mike's neck. Thalia takes the first arrow up, pointing it toward Mike to make sure he doesn't do anything.

"Let's go." James reaches his hands toward her and pulls her with him. To be sure, she keeps the arrow aimed at the tribute from district 4, but his glare makes her uncomfortable. He looks at her like she is the one who betrays him, not the way around. She ignores the look and follows James inside. They steps through the hard ground outside the cave and struggles their way inside. She kicks and pushes a few rocks away, trying to breath.

"We shouldn't leave him outside, should we?" She asks James when he is building a wall of snow on the cave's entrance.

"He tried to kill us twice." Even though the weather is colder than usual, she can see he is sweating from far away. Thalia kneels down next to him, scrambling through the rocks. After taking a peek outside the cave, she doesn't see Mike anywhere. She sees the wall of snow coming right at them, and no time to waste now. The lighting inside the cave is weakened as she can vaguely see James. The rush of adrenaline inside her is flowing so quickly that she doesn't notice the ceiling is shaking. She grabs all of her supplies on the ground and searches for a spot to stay. What is she thinking? This is a cave, where can they go?

"I don't think this cave can hold any longer." James's serious expression makes her feels even worse. She can't die. Not like this.

"There is literally no where to go." He says, almost like yelling. A huge piece of ice falls down on James and knocks him down. The ice isn't sharp or thick enough to make him injured or unconscious, but he has trouble getting up.

"Wait." He runs his fingers on the ground, like he has discovered something. She bends down next to him. "Can you feel it?"

She nods. The ground is supposed to be cold from the weather, but there are interstices beneath them. So thin and small that they can barely see it in the dark.

"It's… hot."

"What do you think it's down there?" He takes out his sword and runs it on the pattern. The cave shakes again. The situation has become life and death, but she can't help but looking at what James has discovered.

"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to go in here." She sighs.

"We didn't have much choice then." He tries to lift something up. "Help me, I think it's a trap door."

She ignores the crumbling ceiling or the weak light inside the cave and holds what seems to be a heavily round rock. The ice is melting around it, and she feels slippery holding it up. On the surface of the rock carved a symbol - a triangle.

"Delta… The symbol of Daedalus." She murmurs. _It's impossible._

"What is it?" He looks at her.

A crack. A cold runs down her spine. She hears lightning, and the cave shakes stronger than ever.

"We should- " Too late now. Pieces of ices are falling down to them. She curls up her body waiting for an impact, but the ground is faster than them. It cracks down a hole and brings both of them down. All she feels are the hot air and the infinity falling. Her throat is unable to make a sound. She reaches for James as he reaches back, but her vision turns black again.


	11. A way out

_"Catch!" Luke gives her a heads up before throwing her a diet coke. Thalia quickly reflects, catching it in mid-air, almost let the thing slips between her sweaty palms.__  
__"Where did you get it?"__  
__"At a local store. It's not that hard if you wear a big lumpy coat and know how to pick locks." He grins mischievously._

_"Damn, what would I do without you?" She shakes her head.__  
__"I guess we wouldn't find out." He shrugs and clicks the top opens.__  
__"Let's drink to our years of freedom."__  
__"Cheers!" Her coke makes a slightly "click" with his, spilling a few drop on the ground. They spend the rest of the night inside Luke's little tent and watch the moon disappears and reappears between the clouds. Finally, Luke's head drops on her shoulder, but she just leaves it there, without minding her sleepiness. But the first thing she notices, the moon starts to crack, and everything around her falls apart.__  
_  
"Thalia!" She can feel someone is shaking her shoulders.  
"Wake up, damn it. We have to go." Her eyes pop open, when she immediately sits up from the ground. The pain from her leg runs through her body as she bends down the ground, curls up in pain. He brings her arms up around his neck and lifts her up. Her legs twist and cause her a tremendous pain but she passes through it.  
"Luke?" Her eyes tiredly lift up, trying to make out the light.  
"No, it's James. You are wounded pretty badly so we need to get you some help." He says between his breaths.  
"Where are we?" She looks around. They are in between the walls.  
"I don't really know what's going on." He shrugs. She tightens her grip on his neck and uses any strength left to pull herself up. The pain has gone deeply between her bones that she can still feel it even if she stays still.  
"We fell down." He squeezes the bag's string on his shoulder to keep it from falling down. She realizes he is carrying for both of them. She frowns knowing her mouth tastes so bitter.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I have to give you some pills to stop the pain. I think the medicine wears off." Her legs agree by giving her the feel of pain.

"I know this place."

"Wait, what do you mean?" James is surprised by what she has just said. "Don't tell me this isn't the first time you've been to the arena."

"No…" She shakes her head slightly. It causes her dizziness but she can't get the déjà vu feeling out of her mind. She leans against the wall. "How did I - we survive?"

"I don't know. I woke up here and I saw you lying not far away. I heard a growl."

"What do you mean a growl?" She furrows her brows.

"Sounded like a monster." James's face looks terrified. "That's why we have to move, now." He stands up straight, keeping her arms around his shoulders.

"It's okay, I can walk." She frowns.

"No, I've seen your wounds." He walks toward, pulling her with him.

"Wait."

"What?"

"This place is a maze. How are you planning to get out?"

"What makes you think this place is a maze?"

Thalia points her finger to the walls. The triangle symbol were creased against everywhere on the bricks. "See that?" James nods. "It's the symbol of the labyrinth in Greek Mythology." She ignores the look on his face. Her eyes brighten up. "That means we can find a way out of here. Out of the Arena." She chased across the hall.

"Greek Mythology? It doesn't exist, right? It's just a myth I heard from my grandmother."

This time, she grins mischievously back at him, talking to herself. "Only mortals who can see through the mist can help us through."

"Maybe we should just follow the light glowing underneath." He kneels down by one knee touching the ground."

"What light?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Come on!" He runs all of the sudden, making her having a hard time to follow him. She can see clearly the blood coming through her jeans. He stops and throws his arms around her waist and helps her walk.

"You can see it?" She asks. He nods constantly, wiping the sweat off his face. They walk for countless times, following James's lead. Thalia sees something glowing out a yellow light in at the end of the road.

"Let's rest. We still have a lot of times." She backs away from him, mostly because she hasn't been so close with a guy for a long time. A room appears in front of them. On the door is a sign that said **εργαστούν δωμάτιο **as her dyslexia translated into "Work Room". A weird looking chandelier is hanging on the ceiling. The desk is scrambled with thousands of paper works. She picks one up.

"These are blue prints." She concludes, looking at James but he is staring at something else.

"Check out the stack of weapons." He lifts a sword up; she can tell they are all made of celestra bronze.

"Amazing…" She rolls her eyes around the room. "I thought this place was destroyed years ago."

"How would you know that?" James stares at her. "Okay. You have some serious explain to do."

Thalia is still drawn into the blue prints, trying to understand some of them. "I have to tell you something, James. About my past."


	12. The labyrinth

"So you are not just a normal human being?" James scratches his messy hair while she drinks the last drop off the bottle of nectar she found on the table.  
"Is that all you got from what I've just said?" She decides to tell him everything. Not just because she needs someone to share, or to know who she really is. She wants to let him understand, since they have finally got out of the arena. What worry her the most? If the labyrinth is still working, that means there are some badass creatures she doesn't want to mess with. The gods must have built back the place; but to imprison what? The room originally should be Daedelus's workshop, but now it has become something new. Someone, or something is building a plan to escape, and she can risk releasing them if she finds a way out. Thalia sighs impatiently, and gets her focus back on James. "The gods in Greek Mythology really exist, or at least used to."  
"What do you mean used to? I thought they are immortal." He drops the sword on the table and sits on the ground. He seems no longer to care about the situation. "I mean, this is exciting, right? Wait. You have to prove it." James determines.  
"What? We don't have time for this." She slams her fist against the table, which makes him startles. "I mean-" She sighs heavily. "I lost my powers. I-" The room shutters. James chooses to hold on Thalia's shoulders, until she shrugs them off. She leans against the wall and watches the ceiling crumbles and the dust falling onto everything. But only the room is shaking.

"We need to get out of here!" She begins rolling the designs on the table and dusting the dirt off them. James takes a few weapons with him; a few daggers, a new sword an certainly more arrows for her. The tiny chandelier collapses on the ground, breaking pieces of glasses and shattered them all over the place. She is the first one to run out, following behind is James. They run on their way toward, don't care where they are going. James, this time has come across her with his faster pace and leading the way. The road looks darker every time she runs but he somehow manages to look through everything and tells her to keep running. They make a right turn, then a left, and straight ahead a giant hall with even bigger walls. The ivies slowly rise above the sands beneath their feet and creep on the walls.

"How… are… you…doing…?" She stops and rests her hand on the wall, breathing heavily. He turns his head back, knowing they have been running for almost an hour now and still hasn't found a way out yet.

"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I can't see the way out." He inhales deeply and exhales.

"No." Thalia shakes her head. "I really think you can do it. Just believe in yourself, we don't have many choices."

"Let's just rest here." He slides his body down, still leaning against the wall. "How many food do we have left?"

"Not enough." She looks at the bag.

"Let me see them." He waves his hand, gesturing the blue prints lying inside her bag. She throws him one. She can feel the dusty air surrounding them when she pulls it out.

"Got any flashlight?"

"Here!" The small flashlight lands on the palm of her hand. She lays the design on the ground and clicks the light on. She looks carefully at the blue print and slightly bringing it closer to James.

"It's… some kind of transportation?" He squints. Now it's her turn to be confused.

"You can read Greek?"

"No." He tilts his head. "It's in English."

"It's in Greek, James." She takes the paper what and looks at it.

"The letters are dancing everywhere." When he takes the second look at it, his eyebrows furrowed.

"It can't be possible." Thalia shakes her head. "First you can see through the mist, and now you can read Greek? And you know how to use a sword, for Zeus's sake."

"My dad." He shrugs.

"And you have that last name…"

"What? You mean Castellan?"

She nods slightly. "I used to know a demigod – that's what we're called – with that last name." She murmurs. "Luke Castellan."

"Is that why you keep calling me Luke? I look like him, don't I?"

"But that's not the point."

"I don't know why, but I believe everything you said, Thals." He continues. "And I think we can use this." He points on the design.

"We can't build this!"

"I know, but there must be one that can."

She thinks of arguing with the idea. She wants to tell him to follow the dim light on the ground. But the transportation; she can go back, get out of her own district and run to wherever she wants to go.

"You're right-" The footstep stops her from amking any noise. It doesn't sound like that quiet impact of a shoe stepping on the ground, but an earthquake. Before she can figure out what the thing was, her mind rushes her to run. She folds the paper and drags the bag on her shoulders. Her legs are no longer under the pain, but she still has a hard time moving.

"I think we should hide." He pushes her on a corner and makes random turns across the maze. There is no cool freezing hair down here so all they do are sweating. Thalia has taken off her thick jacket. Her black air was cut shoulder-length by a sword when she was staying at the cave with him. She steadies her breath and looks out of the corner. The red eyes catch her look.


End file.
